Questions about makeup and skin?

Okay, so i'm in my early 20's and just started ';breaking out'; about a year ago. I've used proactiv and has worked great. For a while I've been using MAC foundation/concealer to hide my blemishes and zits but i've noticed it got worse. My friend said to stop using foundation b/c that causes more breakouts.





I also have just started to use bare minerals and i love it and noticed that i've been breaking out less.





1. What is primer? and should i use it along with bare minerals?


2. What's a good primer to use w. my skin condition (a combo of oily/dry.)


3. Is it true that putting baby powder on your face works? It makes your face look less oily?Questions about makeup and skin?
wow you pretty much did exactly what i did - i used proactiv, and had used M.A.C products - but when my skin was getting worse I switched to bareminerals and now i love it like you do too. sweet :) Okay, so heres my answers to your questions:


1. primer is basically a skin-preparing product used to smooth and refine the skin's texture, and make the appearance of enlarged pores smaller and less oily. By applying this on before applying foundation, it helps to allow your makeup to go on a lot more easily and helps you to apply less of it. In the meanwhile, primer also helps to set your makeup by providing a ';base'; for your foundation to hold onto, therefore your makeup does tend to last a bit longer throughout the day.





2. A good primer can be pretty expensive. One primer that I really like is the the Photo Finish Foundation Primer by Smashbox ($36). It glides on pretty easily and leaves a silky smooth finish. Another good one to try is Dr. Brandt's Pores No More lotion ($50) which mattifies the oily parts of your skin effortlessly and seriously SHRINKS the size of ur porez dramatically. If your on a budget, I think Almay came out with a skin primer for like..$15, but i have not tried that one so I am not sure as to whether it would work on your combination skintype.





3. I would not put any baby powder on your face. Though the talc in it helps to soak up the oil, there are other ingredients in baby powder such as the perfume that could irritate acne prone/ oily skin. Plus, it leaves a powdery white residue on your skin and can ruin ur makeup application. Instead, use oil blotting sheets to remove excess oil throughout the day. These are great b/c not only do they remove oil, but they also dont leave a nasty film on your skin like mattifying powders and shine removing lotions do. Clean and Clear sells 50 oil blotting papers for $6 and work pretty well.





4. I simply put on some primer after I wash and moisturize my skin, and wait for it to set for 5 minutes. Then I apply my bareminerals foundation, then the mineral veil, and Im good to go for the day. I'll touch up any oily areas with oil blotting sheets later on the day if i need to.





Good luck :)





Questions about makeup and skin?
Mac studio fixx totally made me break out !!! It sucks !!





Make sure you moisturize lightly, and then use primer .. using a Matte powder is your best option to help keep away the oily look, and you can also buy face blotters that you can use throughout the day ..






The only reason you need a primer is because you are using the bare escentuals. I highly recommend switching brands like sooo many others are doing. Bare escentuals uses a cheaper, lower end mineral called bismuth oxychloride (which is known to cause irritaition, breakouts etc in some people) this ingredient also makes you look shiny and oily (especially in photos) and wears off after a few hours of wear. I personally have used bare escentuals so I can vouche for this. I switched to FAERIE ORGANIC MINERALS for many reasons.......They are ALL NATURAL, unlike bare escentuals who lies and uses parabeans preservatives in their mineral veils etc (no parabeans etc) They use a high end expensive mineral called BORON NITRIDE- YOU DO NOT NEED A PRIMER WITH THEIR MAKEUP IT STAYS PUT! Boron nitride is anti-bacterial (helping heal acne) and is a skin perfector and soother. They do not use cheap fillers such as cornstarch or talc. You really need to try them. They offer a free sample kit at their site (you just pay shipping) and then you can compare the difference to bare minerals. They are more affordable than bare also. Read their customer reviews (especially on how long they last) http://www.faerieorganic.com
Primer is to go under foundation but if you have problems with breakouts I wouldn't use it. I am also prone to breakouts and also use bare minerals. If you want to condition your skin for foundation you should just use a light moisturizer like olay all day complete for sensitive skin and then when it has soaked in almost all the way then apply the foundation. I have never put baby powder on my face. If you want your face to look less oily, you should try clean %26amp; clear or eyeslipsface (elf) blotting sheets. They remove oil throughout the day without messing up your makeup. I am actually trying everyday minerals because it has the same ingredients, except without bismuth oxychloride which I just found out can irritate peoples skin, make it more oily and also is a byproduct of metal smelting. I have never had my skin irritated by bare minerals but I still don't want that on my face! I checked out the other ingredients and they're fine. You can get a free 5 piece sample kit from everydayminerals.com I only had to pay $3 shipping.
M.A.C will clog your pores if you have acne prone skin.


Bare minerals is great for acne prone skin because it DOES NOT clog your pores. You don't need a face primer. Its suppose smooth out your skin and it works as a base for your face make-up. Its also suppose to help your make-up stay on. You can simply just use a face moisturizer. I never heard of baby powder. Try using a cleanser/moisturizer for oily skin. If you want to use a primer go ahead. Ask the people at the make-up counter, they'll help you find the perfect product for your skin.



Primer just helps set the makeup and keeps it looking fresh all day. Bare minerals does have a primer that should be good for you skin because it will contain natural ingredients. And as far as the baby powder I probably wouldn't do that. Just use a loose powder that is for oily skin. Or try the blotting clothes throughout the dry. It will remove the oil but not the makeup (you can get these at any drug store).